What is the title of the first novel in Henning Mankell’s Wallander series?

Faceless Killers is the first novel in Henning Mankell’s Wallander series.

Published in Swedish in 1991, the novel introduces police inspector Kurt Wallander, who works in the southern Swedish town of Ystad. Wallander investigates the brutal murder of an elderly farming couple and becomes concerned that the case could provoke racist violence. The investigation establishes the series’ combination of procedural detail, social criticism and close attention to Wallander’s troubled personal life.

The next novels include The Dogs of Riga, The White Lioness and The Man Who Smiled. English publication dates do not always match the original Swedish dates, which can cause confusion when comparing editions. Wallander later became internationally known through Swedish film and television adaptations, as well as a BBC series starring Kenneth Branagh.